Napier philatelist Robin Gwynn this week made headlines after discovering Tiflis - a rare Russian stamp that would later sell for about $300,000. He chats to Mark Story.
Is your discovery of the Tiflis stamp a collecting highlight for you?
Absolutely. The whole story of the Tiflis issue is fascinating in itself, and the strange events that surrounded this particular discovery from start to finish left me, at times, feeling I was living in the pages of a novel. I suppose every collector, in every field of collecting, dreams of uncovering some great rarity one day. In stamps, this would be hard to beat. It just goes to show you never can tell what you may stumble across in the unlikeliest of places.
Of your New Zealand stamps, which is your favourite and why?
The 1935-47 Pictorial 5d, which shows a swordfish leaping out of the water. I grew up as a boy in Britain, and think it's the stamp which first attracted me to take an interest in New Zealand. Without that impetus I might never have crossed the world years later to live here.
How strong is philately in New Zealand?
New Zealand philately has always been strong. The Federation of New Zealand philatelic societies has nearly 40 clubs, with membership varying from a couple of dozen to several hundred. The published literature on our stamps and postal history is amazing – few other countries could match it. So, while collector numbers have declined with less posted mail and the new world of computers, it's still a strong hobby. Actually I'm surprised that in a society in which we're all living longer, we don't hear more about stamp clubs developing in retirement villages. That's probably a reflection of the fact the great majority of collectors haven't realised what organised societies have to offer, and just collect on their own.
If there was one stamp you could own, which would it be?
A splendid mint example of the very first New Zealand stamp, the 1d red of the first issue in 1855. The design is beautifully engraved and has been called 'the Rembrandt of philately', and this particular stamp has its own particular shade which distinguishes it from later printings.
Australian author and broadcaster Clive James, possibly with some irony, once asked: "How sane is a philatelist?" What say you?
Well, we live in a world in which we have allowed 62 individuals to own as much wealth as 3.6 billion people. In which our media think it's important to emphasise news about unfortunate, violent people alienated from their society being hauled through the courts. In which supposedly intelligent human leaders spent $1.57 trillion on arms and armaments last year. In which as a race we seem determined to pollute our waterways and threaten our own planet. If that's "sanity", who wants it?
In contrast, for me stamp collecting has opened doors into the worlds of art in miniature, design, beauty, history, geography, different cultures, the animals with which we share the planet. The Tiflis story shows it can also lead to involvement in a detective story and techniques of scientific research. I reckon philately has helped keep me sane and given me wider interests and a sense of balance throughout my life.
